having sent immediately, he brought Nicholas from Galakrenoi and enthroned him, having deposed 716 Euthymius, whom he exiled to the monastery of Agathos, and after a few days brought to the Magnaura, and having held a silentium and a synod there, they effected his deposition, shamefully plucking the beard of that holy and admirable man, and inflicting certain other insults and punishments upon him, which this holy shepherd endured calmly and gently. And again he was sent to the monastery of Agathos, where he also died and was laid to rest in his own monastery in the city, in the Psamathia quarter. But it happened to the cleric who plucked the hairs of the patriarch, immediately when the holy man was being exiled, at that very hour, that his house was burned down by an invisible fire. And his daughter was seized by a complete paralysis, being unable to move hand or mouth or any other part whatsoever or to utter a sound; she, being bedridden and a beggar, continued so until the time of emperor Nikephoros the victor. But the emperor Alexander, being unable to do any imperial work, always devoted himself to hunting and to wicked deeds. And having wished many times to eunuchize the son of Leo, his plan was thwarted by those who had been favored by Leo, who put forward the excuse, sometimes that he was an infant, and at other times that he was ill. In his time a comet appeared from the west for 40 days, which they said was a sword-star and signified that it would work bloodshed in the city. This Alexander, having given himself over 717 to deceivers and sorcerers, they said that his life was dedicated to the statue of the wild boar in the Hippodrome, as they had taught him, hinting at his swinish and senseless life. Persuaded by these things, he placed genitals and teeth upon the boar, as if they were lacking to it; and trusting in their deception, he adorned the Hippodrome and made an illumination for the statue. Whence also the hand of Christ was lifted from him, as from one who had attached the honor of God to idols. 2. When Himerios, however, returned from the defeat by the Agarenes, Alexander confined him in the monastery of the palace called Kalypa, threatening him, as he had been his enemy during the reign of his brother Leo. But he, having fallen ill from much grief, died. 3. Symeon the archon of Bulgaria sent word to Alexander concerning peace and that he be treated kindly and honored just as under Leo the emperor. But he, being possessed by senselessness and folly, dishonorably sent the ambassadors away, terrifying Symeon with threats. Therefore Symeon also moved against the Christians. 4. Alexander, having lunched in the heat of the dog days and having become drunk, went down to play ball; and being struck by a divinely sent sword, with much blood flowing from his nostrils and genitals, he died after two days, leaving Nicholas the patriarch, Stephen the magistros, and John the rhaiktor Eladas as regents, 718 and the empire to Constantine the son of Leo. And having died, he was laid with Basil his father. Year of the world 6408, of the divine incarnation 8, Constantine Porphyrogennetos emperor of the Romans for 48 years. For when his father Leo died, being seven years old, he was left by his uncle Alexander, being under regents. He reigned therefore under the same regents with his mother for 7 years, and together with Romanos his father-in-law, being in subjection for 20 years, and he ruled alone for 15 years, so that the entire time of his reign was 48 years. Therefore, the patriarch Nicholas, having taken control of the palace, since he himself was also a regent along with the magistroi Stephen and John Eladas, undertook the providence for the common good and had all the daily care of the matters pertaining to the empire. 2. While the empire was in this state, then, it was made known to Constantine Doukas, who was domestic of the schools, by some of the magnates in the city, who were fond of him as a courageous and intelligent man and one able to govern the empire well, to enter and become master of it without effort. But he, since he had previously been desiring it, as quickly as he could, together with the elite of the army under him, seizing the
ἀποστείλας εὐθὺς ἤγαγε Νικόλαον ἐκ Γαλακρηνῶν καὶ ἐνεθρόνισεν αὐτόν, καταγα 716 γὼν Εὐθύμιον, ὃν καὶ εἰς τοῦ Ἀγαθοῦ ἐξορίσας μετ' ὀλίγας ἡμέρας εἰς Μαγναύραν ἤνεγκεν, καὶ σελέντιον καὶ σύνοδον ἐκεῖ ποιήσας, τὴν καθαίρεσιν αὐτοῦ ποιοῦσιν, ἀτίμως τίλλοντες τοῦ ἱεροπρεποῦς καὶ ἀξιαγάστου ἐκείνου ἀνδρὸς τὴν γενειάδα, καὶ ἄλλας τινὰς ὕβρεις καὶ ποινὰς αὐτῷ ἐπιφέροντες, ἃς ἡσύχως καὶ πράως ὁ ἱερὸς ποιμὴν οὗτος ὑπέμεινε. καὶ πάλιν ἐπέμφθη εἰς τοῦ Ἀγαθοῦ, ἔνθα καὶ τελευτήσας κατατίθεται ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ μονῇ ἐν πόλει, εἰς τὰ Ψαμαθίου. τῷ δὲ κληρικῷ τῷ τίλαντι τὰς τρίχας τοῦ πατριάρχου συνέβη εὐθὺς ἐν τῷ ἐξορίζεσθαι τὸν ἅγιον, αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ, πυρίκαυστον γενέσθαι τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ ἐξ ἀοράτου πυρός. ἡ δὲ θυγάτηρ αὐτοῦ παντελεῖ ἐπιληψίᾳ ἐκρατήθη, μὴ δυναμένη χεῖρα ἢ στόμα ἢ ἄλλο τὸ οἱονοῦν μέρος κινεῖν ἢ φωνὴν ἀφιέναι· ἥτις καὶ κλινήρης οὖσα καὶ προσαιτὶς διήρκεσεν μέχρι Νικηφόρου βασιλέως τοῦ νικητοῦ. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Ἀλέξανδρος μηδὲν βασιλικὸν ἔργον δυνάμενος ποιῆσαι τοῖς κυνηγεσίοις καὶ τοῖς πονηροῖς ἔργοις ἀεὶ ἐσχόλαζε. τὸν δὲ τοῦ Λέοντος παῖδα πολλάκις εὐνουχίσαι βουληθεὶς διεσκεδάσθη παρὰ τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Λέοντος εὐεργετηθέντων, ποτὲ μὲν ὡς νήπιον ποτὲ δὲ ὡς ἀσθενοῦντα ὑποβαλλόντων. ἐπὶ τούτου ἐφάνη ἀστὴρ κομήτης ἐκ δύσεως ἐπὶ ἡμέρας μʹ, ὃν ἔλεγον ξιφίαν εἶναι καὶ αἱματοχυσίαν σημαίνειν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐργάσεσθαι. οὗτος ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος πλάνοις καὶ γόησιν ἑαυ 717 τὸν ἐκδούς, τοῦ συάγρου τῷ στοιχείῳ, καθὼς αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνοι ἐδίδαξαν, τοῦ ἐν τῷ ἱππικῷ τὴν ζωὴν αὐτοῦ προσανακεῖσθαι ἔφασαν, τὸν χοιρώδη βίον ἐκείνου καὶ ἀνόητον ὑπεμφαίνοντες. τούτοις πεισθεὶς αἰδοῖον καὶ ὀδόντας τῷ χοίρῳ περιέθετο ὡς λιπομένους αὐτῷ· καὶ τῇ τούτων πλάνῃ πεποιθὼς ἱππικὸν ἐστόλισεν καὶ τῷ ζῳδίῳ φωταυγίαν ἐποίησεν. ὅθεν καὶ ἤρθη ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἡ Χριστοῦ χεὶρ ὡς τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ τιμὴν τοῖς εἰδώλοις προσάψαντος. 2. Τοῦ μέντοι Ἱμερίου ἐκ τῆς τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν ἥττης ὑποστρέψαντος, περιώρισεν αὐτὸν Ἀλέξανδρος ἐν τῇ μονῇ τοῦ παλατίου τῇ λεγομένῃ Καλυπᾷ, ἀπειλήσας, ὡς ἐχθρὸν αὐτοῦ ὄντα ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ Λέοντος. ὁ δὲ ἐκ θλίψεως πολλῆς ἀρρωστήσας ἐτελεύτησε. 3. ∆ηλοῖ Συμεὼν ὁ ἄρχων τῆς Βουλγαρίας τὰ περὶ εἰρήνης τῷ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ καὶ τοῦ φιλοφρονεῖσθαι αὐτὸν καὶ τιμᾶσθαι καθάπερ καὶ ἐπὶ Λέοντος τοῦ βασιλέως. ὁ δὲ ἀνοίᾳ καὶ ἀφροσύνῃ συγκρατούμενος ἀτίμως τοὺς πρέσβεις ἐξέπεμψεν, ἀπειλαῖς τὸν Συμεὼν καταπλήσσων. διὸ καὶ κατὰ Χριστιανῶν ὁ Συμεὼν κινεῖται. 4. Ἀλέξανδρος ἀριστήσας ἐν τοῖς ὑπὸ κύνα καύμασι καὶ οἰνωθεὶς κατῆλθε σφαιρίσαι· καὶ ῥομφαίᾳ θεηλάτῳ πληγείς, αἵματος πολλοῦ ἐκ τῶν ῥινῶν καὶ τῶν αἰδοίων αὐτῷ φερομένου, μετὰ δύο ἡμέρας ἐτελεύτησε, καταλιπὼν Νικόλαον πατριάρχην, Στέφανον μάγιστρον καὶ Ἰωάννην ῥαίκτορα τὸν Ἑλλαδᾶ ἐπιτρό 718 πους, τὴν δὲ βασιλείαν Κωνσταντίνῳ τῷ υἱῷ Λέοντος. τελευτήσας δὲ τίθεται μετὰ Βασιλείου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ. Κόσμου ἔτος υηʹ, τῆς θείας σαρκώσεως ηʹ, Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ πορφυρογέννητος ἔτη μηʹ. τελευτήσαντος γὰρ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ Λέοντος ἑπταετὴς ὢν καταλιμπάνεται ὑπὸ Ἀλεξάνδρου θείου αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ ἐπιτρόπους τελῶν. ἐβασίλευσεν οὖν ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιτρόπων σὺν τῇ μητρὶ ἔτη ζʹ, καὶ ἅμα Ῥωμανῷ πενθερῷ αὐτοῦ ἐν ὑποταγῇ ὢν ἔτη κʹ, μονοκρατορεῖ δὲ ἔτη ιεʹ, ὡς εἶναι πάντα τὸν χρόνον τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἔτη μηʹ. λαβόμενος οὖν τῆς τοῦ παλατίου ἐξουσίας ὁ πατριάρχης Νικόλαος, ἅτε καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπίτροπος ὢν σὺν τοῖς μαγίστροις Στεφάνῳ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ τῷ Ἑλλαδᾷ, τὴν τοῦ κοινοῦ πρόνοιαν ἐποιεῖτο καὶ τὴν φροντίδα πᾶσαν εἶχε τῶν τῆς βασιλείας ἀνηκόντων πραγμάτων ὁσημέραι. 2. Ἐν τούτοις οὖν τῆς βασιλείας οὔσης, δηλοῦται Κωνσταντίνῳ ∆ουκὶ δομεστίκῳ τυγχάνοντι τῶν σχολῶν παρά τινων τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει μεγιστάνων, φιλούντων αὐτὸν ὡς ἀνδρεῖον καὶ νουνεχῆ καὶ καλῶς δυνάμενον τὴν βασιλείαν κυβερνᾶν, εἰσελθεῖν καὶ ταύτης ἐγκρατὴς γενέσθαι ἀπονητί. ὁ δὲ ἅτε καὶ πρότερον αὐτῆς ἐφιέμενος, ὡς εἶχε τάχους ἅμα τῶν ἐκκρίτων τοῦ ὑπ' αὐτὸν στρατεύματος καταλαμβάνων τὴν